Diabetes on the Rise in India, Delhi tops the list

A new study claims that over 40 per cent of Delhi residents are diabetic, placing the national capital in the first position among cities closely followed by Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The study found that about 42.5 per cent of Delhi’s population is inflicted with this disease, while in Mumbai it is estimated at 38.5 per cent of its total population. The diabetic percentage stands at 36, 26.5 and 24.5 for Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai respectively.

“In Hyderabad and Kolkata, the number of diabetic patients is estimated at 22.6 per cent and 19.7 per cent of the total population, respectively. Even in rural areas, people are increasingly becoming victims of diabetes,” an Assocham study ‘Diabetes on the Rise in India’ said.

The study warns, if there are no changes made in lifestyle and food habits the nation will have 125 million people living with Diabetes by 2035.

Besides the medical expenses involved, the diabetes makes an adverse impact on quality of life and productivity of individuals, especially in later years, it said.

The Assocham study carried out in major cities across the country by selecting 500 employees from each city on an average said the increase in diabetes cases among men grew by 25 per cent, while among women by a whopping 42 per cent.